My Mom

Mom with her Granddaughter at B.A. Graduation. My Niece will be graduating from medical school soon, first medical doctor in the family. Well done Mom! Well done Niece!

My Mom lives an active life, not as active as she did in her 70s, but still very active and engaged. She is as sharp as a tack. Up until the huge storm that took out the complex she visited every winter in Florida, she was driving to Florida and back, by herself, every winter for a few weeks of well deserved R&R. She continued to to do this even after her health episode in 2015, which left her with a few ongoing health challenges, which she handled with aplomb.

Mom lives with Sister-The-Middle-Girl, and has for the last 26 years. Sister-The-Middle-Girl had a really good job when she gave birth to her only daughter 26 years ago, and in order to continue on her highly successful career path, invited Mom to live with her, to provide round-the-clock child care and housekeeping. Mom loves children, so this was right up her alley, she accepted. Mom not only provided the best in the world child care for my sister’s daughter, she also provided incredible care and support for Sister-The-Youngest-Girl’s three children who lived just down the road.

Mom drove children to lessons, games, events, school, you name it, my Mom was there for those Grandchildren, day and night, and in so doing my sisters were able to invest the time required to maintain the demands of careers, and have the best care possible for their children at the same time. No matter what came up, Mom was willing to reschedule her life around her Grandchildren, and she did. They all thrived, my sisters, my brother-in-law, my Mom.

My nieces and nephews have all grown up now, and are headed off into their lives with a great start, thanks to my Mom’s dedication. It is time for Mom to enjoy the results of her dedication, when she needs it most. And luckily enough, Sister-The-Middle-Girl is planning on retiring soon, so she and my Mom will be able to share a loving life at home, after all their years of work. They will have fun! How wonderful it will be for Mom, to live with her appreciative family, sharing life with the people she loves most, in her golden years.

A lovely tribute, Maggie! My mother lived to 94, and was active and involved until about 90 years of age. At that time, she became ill with Alzheimer disease, so her last few years were painful for all of us. She, like your mother, was a great contributor to the well-being and success of all of her 7 children.

Thanks Diane! I am sorry to hear about your mother’s Alzheimer disease, how challenging for everyone. Wonderful too that your mother is remembered for what she did through most of her life, well deserved respect.

Teri, it was too bad that the place Mom has been going to for years was so badly damaged that it is no longer in business. I don’t know if she will be going down anymore, I sure hope so, she has really enjoyed it. Winter is not her favourite time of year, and I think as we get older we feel the cold more keenly. Hoping for a mild winter!